Azelia is a family-run winery in the pretty town of Castiglione Falletto. The family has a long history in producing wine spanning over five generations and 100 years. In 1920, Cavaliere Lorenzo Scavino began to vinify a part of the farm’s grapes, and his son Alfonso started to bottle the wines and vinify most of the harvest. With each generation, the winery became a more important part and Alfonso’s son, Lorenzo, was the first with the tenacity to export a part of their production in a time when not many Piemontese producers were even considering this. Nowadays, Azelia is run by Lorenzo’s son, Luigi Scavino with the support of his wife Lorella and their son Lorenzo, who represents the 5th generation of winemakers. The vineyards amount to 16 hectares in some of the Langhe’s prime locations, and the annual production has grown to approximately 85’000 bottles.
The winery produces a delicious Dolcetto d’Alba and a Nebbiolo Langhe, both raised in stainless steel, a barrel-aged Barbera from old vines on the top of a hill (“Punta”), as well as a Barolo Classico and four single Cru Barolos, Bricco Fiasco (Castiglione Falletto), Margheria (Serralunga d’Alba), San Rocco (Serralunga d’Alba) and Cerretta (Serralunga d’Alba) since the 2016 vintage. The Crus are made from exceptionally old vines and are a beautiful representation of their vineyard. In the best vintages, the Barolo Riserva Bricco Voghera is completing the impressive range. Bricco Voghera is an old vineyard on top of the hill (“bricco”) with vines that are very old (95 years) and produce an incredibly deep, complex and complete Barolo of the highest level. While the other Crus used to be partially aged in Barrique but have shifted to large barrels over the years, the Riserva Bricco Voghera always spent 5 years in large barrels and 5 years in bottle before release.
I have been following Azelia for 25 years and find the wines truly special, in a style that is very “enlightened”, combining former elements of the newer school with a great sense of place and very traditional elements, too. While the Barolos need some time in bottle, I always admired the purity of fruit of these wines and how polished the tannin was (in the context of structured Barolo).
These wines were tasted with Lorenzo Scavino during our visit end of May 2019.
2017 Azelia Langhe Nebbiolo, 87 Points
Tasted at the winery with Lorenzo. Lighter ruby color. Pretty notes of raspberries, red currant and violets. It‘s lighter-medium bodied with medium-high acidity and just a touch of tannin. Good length. A pretty, perfumed and lighter Nebbiolo which is the intention here. Very enjoyable.
2015 Azelia Barbera d’Alba Vigneto Punta, 91 Points
Tasted at the winery with Lorenzo. From 60 year old vines, spent some time in barrique but no new oak. A wine that would be easy to miss in a larger tasting as it‘s not especially big but makes more than up for it with pure elegance and precision. Medium purple color. Notes of dark red cherries, flowers, graphite, also some sweet spices. It‘s medium+ bodied, has pretty high acidity in the context of the vintage, and lower tannin. Excellent mid-palate persistence and showing a lot of depth without being heavy. A super nice and polished Barbera.
2015 Azelia Barolo, 90 Points
Tasted at the winery with Lorenzo. As always the „straight“ Barolo is a little more accessible, less expensive, but also less deep and complex than the Crus but it totally works here. Notes of dried flowers, some plums, darker red berries, but also some tar. It‘s medium-full bodied, with medium+ tannin and medium-high acidity and very good length. A very good Barolo in this price range.
2015 Azelia Barolo Bricco Fiasco, 93 Points
Tasted at the winery with Lorenzo. As always the Bricco Fiasco is the initially most perfumed, seductive wine, but packs a punch of tannic structure too. Notes of sweet red berries, crushed violets and rose petals, cinnamon and other sweet spices. It‘s medium-full bodied but feels a little lighter than it is initially, it has pretty high acidity and medium-high tannin that is very good quality. Very good length. A very good Bricco Fiasco that might not reach the level of the very best vintages (like 2010), but is super seductive and has enough stuffing to age nicely.
2015 Azelia Barolo Margheria, 95 Points
Tasted at the winery with Lorenzo. I am usually a big fan of the San Rocco… but in this vintage the Margheria might have a slight edge… at least at this embryonic stage. Deep, dark and imposing, with dark notes of plum, dark cherries, tar, some black tea, cedar wood, tobacco and a saline minerality. It‘s full-bodied and dense, but without any heaviness, has very good freshness of high acidity and medium-high tannin that is slowly building up. Superb length. A stunningly complete, fascinating and beautiful Margheria. Wow. (95+)
2015 Azelia Barolo San Rocco, 94 Points
Tasted during visit at the winery with Lorenzo. Slightly reductive and needs some serious swirling in the glass to open up a little. Dark, deep and full of character, but also a little more austere than it sometimes shows when it‘s young. Notes of darker fruit, tar, spices, licorice, black tea, cigar, but also some beautiful flowery notes too. It‘s medium-full bodied, with medium-high tannin that is perfectly buffered by the fruit and excellent quality, also again high acidity (one of the surprises of the vintage for me so far… love how much acidity most of the Barolos have). A little less mineral driven than the Margheria next to it but not less fascinating. Very good length. This will take a few years to open up. (93-95)
2009 Azelia Barolo Riserva Bricco Voghera, 94 Points
Tasted during winery visit with Lorenzo. While I am not very fond of the 2009 Barolo vintage in general, this is exceptionally beautiful. Super perfumed notes of dried flowers, cranberries, licorice, some leather, sweet red fruit, spices and also some mint. It‘s medium-full bodied, with excellent balance of structure and fruit, medium acidity and medium tannin adding to the roundness. Good length. It‘s super perfumed, seductive and open for business and will drink well right out of the gate.
Author: Markus Kumschick, WSET III
May 2019